Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-20

fine manners in adroit lioertinism. They
go their round Of sin with well-cut
apparel, and dangling iewelry,
and watches of eighteen karsts,
ana kld gloves. They are refined, edu.
Gated, magnificent villains. But that is
the exception. 1t is generally the case
that the criminal classes are as ignorant
as they are wicked. For the proof Of
what l say, go into the prisons and the
penltentlarles, and look upon the men and
women incarcerated. The dishonesty in
the eye, the low passion in the lip, are
not more conspicuous than the ignorance
IN the forehead. The ignorant classes
are always the dangerous classes.
Demsgogues marshal them. They are
nelmless, and are driven before the gale
1t is high time that all city and state
authority, as we'll as the Federal govern
ment, appreciate the awful statistics that
while years ago in this country there was
set apart 100000 acres of land
FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES,
there are now in New England 19I ZOO
people who can neither read nor write,
and IN the state OF Pennsylvania 222, 600
SWho can neither read nor write, and in
the state OF New York 24l 200 who can
neither read nor write, while in the
! Un1ted States there are nearly 100000
who csn neither read nor write: Stats
tics enough to stagger and confound any
man who loves his God and his country.
Now, IN view OF this fact, am in favor
OF compulsory education. When parents
are SO oestlaI as to neglect this duty
to the child, say the law, with strong
nanG, at the same time with a gentle
hand, ought to lead these little ones into
the light OF intelligence and good morals.
1t was beautiful tableau when In our
city swarthy policeman, having picked
up lost child in the street, was found
appeasing its cries with stick of candy
ne had bought at the apple
stand. That was we'll done and
beautifully done. But, oh! these
thousands Of little ones through our
streets, who are crying for the bread Of
knowledge and intelligence. Shall we
not give it to them? The officers Of the
law ought to go down into the cellars, ard
up into the garrets, and bring out these
benighted little ones and put them under
educational Influences; after they have
passed through the bath and under the
como, putting before them the spelling
book and teaching them TO read the
Lords prayer and the sermon on the
mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom Of heaven !"
Our city ought TO be father and mother
both to these Outcast little ones. As o
recipe for the cure Of much Of the woe,
and want, Sud crime of cur city, | give
the words which Thorwaldsen had Cnls-
eied on the open scroll in the hand of the
statue Of John Gutenberg, the inventor of
the art of printing:
'fLET THERE BE LGHT.'
Still further: Ref0rmatory societies
are an important element in the rectifca-
ton Of the public fountains. Without
calling any Of them by name, | refer more
especially to those which recognize the
physical as well IS the moral woes of the
world. There was pathOs and a great
dea. Of common sense in what the poor
woman said 10 DR.. Guthrie when he was
telling her what very good woman she
ought to be. ooh, 'she said, ''if you were
as hungry and cold as | am, you could
think of nothing else" l believe the
great want of our city is the gospel and
something to eat! Faith and repentance
are OF infinite importance; but they can
not satisfy al empty stomach. You have
to go forth in this work with the bread of
eternal life in your right hand, and the
bread of this life in your left hand, and
then you con touch them, initiating the
Lord Jesus Christ, who first broke
the bread and fed the multi
tude in the wilderness, and
then began to preach, recognizing the
fact that while people are hungry they
will not listen, and they will not repent.
We want more common sense in the dis
tribution of our charities, fewer magnif-
cent theories and more hard work.
Still further, the greet remedial infu-
ence is tine gospel of Christ. Take that
down through the lanes of suffering.
Take that down amid the novels of sin.
Take that up amid the mansions and pal
aces of YOUR city. That is the salt that
can cdre all the poisoned fountains of
public iniquity. Do you know that in
this cluster Of three Cities-New York,
Jersey City and Brooklyn-there are i
great multitude of homeless children?
You see l speak more in regard to the
youth and the children of the country,
because old villains are seldom reformed,
and therefore ! talk more
ABOUT THE LITTLE ONES.
They sleep under the stoops, in the
burned out safe, IN the wagons in the
streets, on the barges, wherever they can
get board to cover them. And in the
Summer they sleep all night long in the
marks. Their restitution Is well set forth
by an incident. a city missionary asked
one of them: "Where is your home ?"
Said he: ~ don't have no home, sir"
"Well, where are your father and
mother" "They are dead, sir" "Did
YOU ever hear Of Jesus Christi" "No,
I don't think l ever heard OF Him "
"Did you ever hesr Of God?" eyes, I've
heard of God. Some of the poor people
think it kind of lucky at night to say
something over about that before they
90 to sleep. Yes, sir, I've heard of Him"
Think OF a conversation like that in 8
Christian city.
How many ere waiting ior you 10 come
out In the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ
snd rescue them from the wretchedness
here, Oh that the Church of God had
arms long enough and hearts warm
enough to take them up! How many of
them there are! As l was thinking
of the subject this morning, it
seemed to me as though there was g great
brink, and that these little ones with cut
and torn feet W re coming on toward it.
And here is group of orphans. Q
fathers and mothers, Whist do you think
of these fatherlesS AID motherless little
ones! No hand at home to take care OF
their apparel, no heart 10 pity them. Said
one little one, when the mother died
stWhe will take care of my clothes now?"